A Good Day
by BooBooKitty12
Summary: Chase ponders his childhood and and the events that shaped his life. Takes place after The Mistake.
1. Chapter 1

Some days are going to be good. That's the thought Robert Chase had as he drove to work. For the first time in months he actually felt that this was going to be one of those days. When he went to bed the previous night he thought it was going to be like before. Laying in bed, unable to sleep because he couldn't stop blaming himself for Kayla's death. It had all started with a phone call. He would never forget the shock he felt at the news of his father's death. Robert hadn't even been told that his father was ill so the level of betrayal was something Robert would never get over. That one moment had led to his mistake that would change so many lives.

Last night Robert's memories took him back to his childhood. He thought about the differences between his two parents. His father, Rowan, was an over-achiever who had little patience for anyone who he considered lazy or ineffectual. Of course, this also led him to be a workaholic who had little time to spend with his family. Robert was proud of the fact that everyone considered his father a brilliant doctor, but he also felt as if he and his mother came in second to whatever project his father was working on at the moment. Robert knew that Rowan wanted him to also become a doctor so in order to please his father he tried very hard to be a part of Rowan's work by helping with research and studying medical journals. More often than not, however, Robert still felt mostly unnoticed by his father.

Robert's mother, Sarah, was the complete opposite of Rowan. She was shy and sensitive but she also had a wonderful sense of humor. She had beautiful long, blonde hair, blue/green eyes and a radiant smile, yet she was seemingly unaware of her beauty. Sarah also suffered from extreme mood swings, especially after she had been drinking.

Nights had always been hardest for Chase. His earliest memories were of him lying in bed listening to his parents argue. Things were fine during the day while Chase's father was at work. Sarah was very indulgent of her only son. Robert became aware at a young age that he could get what he wanted as long as his mother was in a good mood, so he was usually careful to do things to please her. Sarah was known to be temperamental at times, but her son had learned to read her moods and act accordingly.

The Chase family lived in an affluent neighborhood and their home was where Robert and his friends usually ended up. There was plenty to keep them busy such as a large pool, tennis courts, a billiard room and, best of all, very little adult supervision. His father was rarely home and his mother let the boys do as they pleased as long as they were relatively quiet and didn't bother her. There was a housekeeper, a cook, a chauffeur and a groundsman that worked in the home, but they did not feel it was their job to babysit so the boys generally had free reign.

Even though he enjoyed having his mates over, Robert's best friend was the girl next door, Amy. Her family had moved in when she and Robert were both seven years old and they immediately became inseparable. She was tall and skinny with short blond hair that she kept hidden under a baseball cap. They had learned to skateboard, water ski and surf together. Actually, he did not even think of her as a girl since she could beat him at any sport they tried. One day when they were both twelve years of age Amy arrived at Robert's house nearly in tears.

"What's wrong?", he asked with concern, since he knew she never cried.

Amy replied, "My family is moving to England next week and I'll never see you again." Amy then turned and ran home, unable to stop the flow of tears and not wanting him to see her cry.

As Robert stood in stunned silence watching Amy leave, his mother stood next to him and put her arm around him. She knew there were no words to make her son feel better so she did what she always did to comfort him. She tousled his hair and kissed his cheek. She wished she could do more, but she had learned a long time ago that life was full of disappointments.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Chase is one of my favorite character's on House and I have often wondered how he became the person he is today. I know there are differing opinions of Chase's time line on the show but since he mentioned in "Cursed" that his father left when he was fifteen and, according to House, since the divorce "it's been fifteen years and mom's been dead for ten of them" then I'm going with that. This is my first fanfic and I'm not sure as of yet how many chapters there will be when I'm done. I hope people are enjoying reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it._

As time passed, the tension in the Chase household grew. Rowan had always experienced a high level of success in his career, but in the past couple of years he had become world renown and requests for his expertise were constant. Actually, Rowan welcomed the work which kept him away from home so he would not have to deal with Sarah's ever increasing mood swings.

Robert began to notice changes in his mother that concerned him, but she always claimed to be fine. He did, however, notice that her drinking had increased. It was during this time that Robert stopped inviting his friends to his home because he was always worried about her behavior.

Robert continued to play in football games after school and sometimes his mother would come to watch him play. It made him feel so happy to see her in the stands laughing and cheering for him. At these times she seemed like her old self. His father always promised to come also, but some emergency would come up to keep him away. When Robert and his mom came home after a game, he would go take a shower while she fixed herself a drink. By the time his father came home, things would start to go downhill. During dinner, his parents would compete for his attention, which made Robert feel torn between the two of them. He could hardly wait for the meal to be over so that he could seek the sanctuary of his room. He began to sleep with the television on to drown out the yelling. Then came the day Rowan Chase left. He would never forget what his mother told him that night.

Sarah said, "Robert, I know it's a difficult lesson for you to learn at fifteen years of age, but the truth of the matter is that people always leave. The only person you can count on to take care of you is yourself and you should do anything it takes to protect yourself."

He replied, "Mom, I promise I will never leave. You can always count on me to take care of you." He knew he would never break that promise. What he didn't know was how things were about to go from bad to worse.

Soon his mom stopped coming to his games and when he came home he could tell that she had already been drinking. When Robert accused her of this she would deny it and begin to cry. She seldom laughed anymore and began to depend on him more and more. Eventually he had to quit the football team because he didn't want to leave her alone. Worst of all, her moods swings had become violent. He wasn't so much afraid of what she would do to him because he knew he could take care of himself. He was afraid of what she would do to herself. One day when he was sixteen years of age, he came home from school to find their longtime housekeeper, Nancy, leaving with her suitcase.

"Where are you going?" Robert asked, hearing the panic in his own voice.

She replied, "Robert, I'm sorry but I can't take this anymore. I only stayed this long because I didn't want to leave you to take care of your mother by yourself but after today, I had to quit for my own safety."

"What happened?," asked Robert, dreading the answer.

Nancy said, "She ran out of gin and wanted me to go buy more. When I refused she threw the empty bottle at me. Fortunately she missed, but the bottle shattered against the wall. She was so filled with rage that she then ran over to attack me, stepping on the broken glass with her bare feet. She didn't even feel it. She needs more help than we can give, Robert. I think it's time for you to call your father for help. Good luck."

He watched as Nancy walked out, thinking to himself, "People always leave."

Robert knew there was no way that he could ask his father for help. If anyone knew how bad off his mother truly was, then he would be sent to live with his dad and his promise to take care of her would be broken. He was determined that would never happen. He decided that on top of his school work, he would have to be the caregiver and take responsibility for the running of the home.

It struck Robert as funny that people tended to see what they wanted to see. Since his father was rich and famous, they assumed that Robert had an easy life. What they didn't know was that when he came home from school, he was filled with fear at what he might find when he got there. Sometimes his mother was crying uncontrollably, other times she was in a violent rage and there were even times when she was passed out drunk. Robert calmed her down, cleaned up after her, made sure she ate her meals and put her to bed at night. He dealt with all of this without complaining and went to school the next day pretending that everything was fine. If anyone asked any personal questions, he became quite the expert at deflecting the question and changing the subject.

One particular Saturday, when he was still sixteen, Robert had just finished breakfast when the doorbell rang. He hurried to answer it before the noise woke Sarah. Standing on the doorstep was the most beautiful girl Robert had ever seen. She had long, wavy blonde hair, gorgeous blue eyes, long lean legs and, he could tell from the form fitting dress she was wearing, an amazing body. He just stood there with his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

The girl laughed and said, "Hi stranger."


	3. Chapter 3

Robert stared in disbelief as recognition sank in.

"No way," he said. "It can't be."

"It can be and it is. SURPRISE," the girl shouted excitedly.

"Amy? Wow, have you changed," he replied, a little too incredulously.

"For the better I hope," Amy said, smiling.

"I'll say," Robert said.

With that, Amy punched him on the arm, then laughed and threw her arms around him. He returned the hug enthusiastically, amazed that not only was his best friend back but she was incredibly hot.

As they pulled apart, Amy said, "My dad finished the assignment he was working on in England and now we're finally back home."

"To stay?" Robert asked.

Amy said, "Yeah. Now get your shoes on and let's go have some fun."

With this, the smile on Robert's face faded. He desperately wanted to spend time with her, but first he had to make sure his mother was going to be okay while he was gone.

"Oh bollocks," he said. "I can't right now but give me an hour and I'll come over to your house. Then we'll do whatever you want. I can't believe you're really back."

"Well get used to it because I plan on making up for lost time," she answered. "See you in an hour. And don't be late."

After Amy left, Robert ran upstairs to wake his mother. As he got to her room, he found that she had already gotten out of bed and started getting ready for the day. She was usually at her best in the morning but he still breathed a sigh of relief to see that this looked like it was going to be one of her better days.

"Morning Mum," he said happily. "Guess what. Amy and her family are back from England and living next door again. Isn't that great news?"

Sarah was surprised and said, "That's nice, Robert. It's great that you two get to be together again, but just be prepared. It's only a matter of time before she leaves again."

Robert said, "No. That's the best part. They're here to stay this time."

His mother had a sad look in her eyes, which was becoming more common than not, as she said, "We'll see."

Robert ignored the comment and said, "Anyway, she wants me to come over so will you be alright if I go?"

Sarah replied, "Don't be silly. I can take care of myself. You go have fun for a change."

He gave her a quick hug and ran off to get ready to go.

Robert was filled with excitement as he walked up to Amy's front door. It seemed like a lifetime since he had been here. So much had changed in that time. He actually felt a little nervous as he rang the bell. The door opened and there stood Amy's mother.

"Robert, it's so wonderful to see you again," she said. "Oh my, you are as handsome as ever aren't you."

Robert blushed and replied, "Hi Mrs. Cooper. Welcome home."

He stepped inside and was greeted by Amy's father and older brother, Danny.

Mr. Cooper shook his hand and said, "I see Amy didn't waste any time letting you know we're back." As the two friends stood next to each other, Mr. Cooper added, "Look at this. Robert's finally taller than Amy."

Everyone laughed and Danny jokingly added, "Too bad she's still not as pretty as he is."

Amy turned to Danny, "At least my looks have improved. You on the other hand are still a jerk."

To change the subject, Mr. Cooper said, "So Robert, what's new with you since we've been gone."

Robert wasn't quite sure how to respond. He usually avoided personal questions, but he figured he should just be honest.

"Well, I guess the only real big news is that my parents divorced last year," he said.

Mr. Cooper acknowledged, "Yes, we were so sorry to hear about that. How are you and your mother?"

Robert was surprised and said, "You heard? How?"

Mr. Cooper said, "From your father, of course. I'm sure you know we've stayed in pretty close contact all these years. In fact, whenever he comes to England for a conference, he always made it a point to stop in and say hello."

Robert felt like the air had been knocked out of him. _I'm sure you know. _The phrase echoed in his head. No, he didn't know. He couldn't admit to them that his father couldn't be bothered to share this information with him. For the first time it occurred to him that his father wasn't too busy for his friends. Rowan just didn't have time for his family.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: According to my research on the Internet, the school year in Australia runs from about late January to mid-December and consists of four separate terms. Most students graduate by the age of seventeen. I hope this is correct._

Amy wanted to spend her first day back with Robert visiting all the sights she had missed while in England. After a couple of hours spent just having fun, Amy suggested they stop at their favorite ice cream parlor. They sat down in the booth and placed their orders.

While waiting for their sundaes Amy said, "So, Robert. Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Would you be jealous if I did?" he teased.

He was take aback when she said, "Yes, I would be."

Robert was more serious when he said, "Well, I don't. Don't forget, I go to an all-boys school so I don't meet many girls. And besides, I spend all my time doing homework and studying."

He also wanted to open up and tell Amy about his mother, but he knew he couldn't. After learning that their father's were still such good friends, he was afraid that she would let something slip at home and then Rowan would find out just how bad off Sarah was. As much as he wanted to be honest with Amy, he knew he had to protect his mother.

Amy said, "Don't be silly. I've seen how all the girls look at you. You could have a girlfriend if you wanted one. And you can't spend all your time studying. You know what all work and no play makes you?"

"Umm, a world renown rheumatologist?" Robert answered.

They both laughed and after a moment Amy said, "I hope you can make time for me. Unless you're afraid that I'll still whip your butt at everything."

Robert raised one eyebrow and flashed her a mischievous grin. He said, "You can certainly try."

**************************************************

Robert began to spend more and more time with Amy and it wasn't long before he realized his feelings for her had changed. He felt guilty for leaving his mother alone, but Amy somehow managed to make him forget how lonely and difficult his life had become. She made him laugh and feel like his old self again. And he certainly couldn't ignore how attracted he was to her. He knew that she had caught him staring at her several times and he wondered how she felt about him.

One clear evening as they were sitting outside looking at the nighttime sky Amy said, "Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

He couldn't resist and answered, "No. You are."

Amy turned to him and he leaned over to kiss her. She eagerly returned his kiss and it quickly became more intense.

As they finally pulled apart Amy said, "It's about time. I thought you were never going to do that."

Robert smiled and kissed her again.

**************************************************

During the holiday between school terms, Robert and Amy tried to fit in as much time together as possible before Year 12 began. Rowan had already ensured that Robert was enrolled in several college level classes for the new year so that he would have a head start at University. Robert had little choice in the matter and knew it was easier to keep his father happy.

Robert and Amy spent their days going to the beach, playing tennis, going to the movies and just spending time together. When they had the opportunity to be alone, they spent their time doing something else entirely. As can be expected when teens have too much unsupervised time together, their libidos began to get the best of them.

One night, when they were exploring each others bodies, Robert asked if they could go all the way.

Amy wanted to also, but her judgment got the better of her. She told him, "I love you so much, but I've never done this before and I just want to wait until I know the time is right."

He said, "I hope you realize I've never done this before either. I want you to know that I love you too and I'll wait as long as you need me to. I don't want to be with anyone else but you."

**************************************************

Christmas and the New Year came and went and before they knew it, the new school year had begun. It took some adjusting to get used to their new schedules but Robert and Amy still managed to find some time to be together.

Robert had kept his promise to Amy and had not pressured her about having sex, but he did let her know that he would be prepared and have a condom just in case she changed her mind.

She told him how grateful she was for his patience, especially considering that they came close many times, but she always stopped at the last minute.

Robert said, "No worries. When we finally do make love, I'm sure it will be worth the wait."

She said, "How is it possible that I fall more in love with you each day?"

**************************************************

"Hey, your birthday is in a couple of weeks. Do you have any plans?" Amy asked.

Robert thought about how many birthdays his father had forgotten about and how his mother would end up drunk. He answered, "Ugh, I hate birthdays. Can't we just forget about it?"

Amy said, "Absolutely not. Besides, how can you hate birthdays? Too bad, my parents are going away to Sydney to visit my brother at University or I'd have them take us out on the yacht. But I'll still come up with something. Just leave it up to me."

**************************************************

Amy hadn't mentioned Robert's birthday again and he had hoped that she had decided to ignore the day like he wanted, but on the morning of February 12th she called.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY! How does it feel to be seventeen?"

"The same as sixteen," he replied.

Amy said, "Don't be an old grouch. Actually, I'm calling to invite you over for dinner tonight. If you remember, my parents are going to be gone so I've decided to cook you dinner all by myself."

"But you can't cook," he reminded her.

"How hard can it be. Are you coming or not?" she replied.

"I can't wait," he said laughingly.

Amy said goodbye and added, "Oh, Robert, one more thing. Make sure you're prepared."

"For what?" he asked, but she had already hung up.

He thought about this for a second and then smiled. Maybe this birthday wouldn't be so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Robert was beginning to think he would never make it to Amy's for his birthday dinner because his mother had decided she wanted to spend the day with him. She insisted on taking him out to lunch, which he knew was a mistake since Sarah didn't like going out much anymore.

At the restaurant, Sarah ordered a few drinks "to celebrate the occasion" and by the time they made it home she was in a belligerent mood. He spent the rest of the afternoon calming her down and getting her settled in her room for the night. Fortunately, he had foreseen there may be a problem and had made plans to meet Amy at 8:00 that night.

When Amy opened the door, Robert stared in awe at the beautiful girl before him. She was wearing a short, tight fitting, strapless red dress with her hair cascading down past her shoulders.

He said, "Oh my God, Amy, you look gorgeous."

"Thanks," she said, slightly embarrassed. "I must say, so do you. Come on in. Dinner's ready."

Robert was surprised by how good everything smelled and asked, "What are we having?"

Amy put her arm through his and they walked into the dining room.

"Well, I know you like Italian so I made minestrone soup and lasagna," she said. "I saw you walking up so I already dipped your soup. You sit down and start. I'm just going to take the lasagna out of the oven and I'll be right back."

Robert had eaten very little at lunch since he had to keep an eye on his mother and he realized he was starving when he sat down at the table. He eagerly put a big spoonful of soup in his mouth and immediately spit it back in the bowl after tasting it. She must have used an entire box of salt, he thought as he reached for his glass of water. He knew she had gone to a lot of work so he was determined to eat it no matter what. He forced himself to take another bite. How was it possible, he wondered, to overcook the pasta and yet the vegetables were raw. He took another drink of water and forged ahead, taking another bite of soup.

Amy came back into the dining room and asked, "How is it?"

Robert said, "It's unbelievable."

"Boy, you must have been thirsty. Let me get you some more water," Amy said as she went back into the kitchen.

Robert continued to choke down more of the soup. When Amy returned, he asked, "Aren't you having some?"

"No, I'm not much of a minestrone fan," she answered. "I made that just for you."

"Oh, you shouldn't have," Robert said. Looking at the small portion left in his bowl he added, "I'll save the rest for after the meal so we can eat together. Besides, the lasagna smells so good that I want to save room."

Amy gave him a quick kiss and said, "Okay, I'll be right back."

She returned momentarily with the lasagna and placed it on a trivet on the table. She took a spatula to cut into it and was surprised to hear a crackling noise.

She said, "That's weird. It doesn't seem to be cutting through."

Robert replied, "Let me try."

He also found the lasagna difficult to slice but finally managed to cut a piece and pull it from the pan.

Robert looked at the slice more carefully and asked, "Amy, did you cook the noodles before you baked this?"

"Why would I do that?" she answered. "Doesn't it just cook in the oven?"

She took a small bite and said, "Oh my God. This is horrible!"

Amy sat with her brow furrowed, staring at the meal in front of her for a moment and then reached over and took a bite of the soup.

Robert noticed her eyes widen and a look of disgust on her face before she reached for her own water glass.

Robert thought about how his mother would react to this situation and braced himself for Amy to break down in tears. He was convinced that this night was officially ruined.

He was astonished when she burst out laughing.

"You must really love me if you'll eat that crap," she said. "You know, I do make a really great peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

He gave her a hug and said, "That sounds great. But if you don't mind, I'll help."

After they finished eating their sandwiches, Amy asked, "Are you ready for dessert? You have a choice of homemade chocolate cake or we could go straight to my room."

"Homemade cake? That sounds delicious, but I'm really stuffed," said Robert.

"You're a quick learner, Robert Chase," Amy laughed as she led him to her bedroom.

Once inside her room, Robert brushed his lips against Amy's nervously. As his hands sat on her waist and Amy's arms were gently wrapped around his neck, Robert pulled back slightly to look into her eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "We can stop now if you want."

"I've never been more sure of anything," she answered seriously. She then jokingly added, "But, of course, if you don't want to, we can stop."

Robert said, "Oh, I want to all right."

With that, he pulled her close to him again and kissed her softly. He then slowly unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor revealing a black, lacy strapless bra and matching bikini panties.

Amy then began to unbutton his shirt, placing a kiss on his bare chest as she slowly worked the shirt off of his body. Her hands then went to his waist as she set about undoing his pants.

Robert led her to the bed and settled next to her, taking her in his arms once more.

"Amy, I hope you know how much I love you," he said. She knew, because she felt the same way.

After they made love, as they laid in bed trying to catch their breath, Amy said, "I can't believe we waited so long. That was unbelievable."

"Do you mean unbelievable like the soup?" Robert asked jokingly.

"Absolutely not," Amy laughed, "Okay, that was a bad choice of words. How about amazing."

Robert responded, "I can agree with that. And just think, if it was that good our first time, imagine how great it will be after we've had some practice."

As they laid together with Amy's head on Robert's chest, he said, "Amy, thank you."

She looked up with a questioning look on her face and asked, "For what?"

Robert said, "This was the best birthday I ever had."


	6. Chapter 6

The weeks passed and soon it was time for the first term of Year 12 to end. During the holiday between terms, Amy celebrated her seventeenth birthday. Robert had told her that he had something special planned for her but he wanted it to be a surprise. He would only tell her that they were leaving at about 5:00 in the morning and to dress comfortably.

When the day finally arrived, Amy was ready and waiting when Robert came to pick her up.

"So, where are we going," she asked excitedly.

Robert answered, "I'm still not going to tell you but I will give you a hint. When we were ten years old, you told me that this was what you wanted."

Amy looked confused and said, "You got me a pony?"

Robert laughed and said, "Oh man, I forgot about that. Well, now I feel bad. I hope you like what I got for you anyway."

They drove for about an hour and eventually arrived at a large field. They found a place to park and started walking towards a crowd of people that were gathered in the distance. Suddenly Amy noticed a large balloon rising above the crowd as it was being filled with air and she stopped walking, astonishment showing on her face.

"We're going on a hot-air balloon ride?" she shrieked. She threw her arms around Roberts neck and smothered him with kisses. "I can't believe you remembered."

**************************************************

All the way home, Robert and Amy talked about what a great time they had on the balloon ride and that it was the most awesome thing they had ever done. On second thought, they agreed laughingly, it was the second most awesome thing they had ever done.

After returning home, Robert dropped Amy off and kissed her goodbye. She had plans to go out to dinner with her family and, even though they had invited Robert to come along, he insisted that she should spend the rest of the day with just her family.

The truth of the matter was he knew he had to get home to check on his mother. Robert had been gone much longer than expected and he was concerned that Sarah had been alone too long.

When he walked in his house, he learned immediately that he had been right to worry. Sarah was in a drunken rage and started screaming at him as soon as he entered the living room.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU GOT HOME," she yelled.

When Robert tried to apologize she slapped him hard across the face.

"I don't want to hear your lies. You're a selfish brat who only cares about himself. You're just like your father," she continued as she pummeled her fists against him.

Robert just stood there taking her beating. After all, he deserved it, didn't he? He had been selfish and had broken his promise to take care of her.

Sarah finally broke down in sobs and sank to the floor saying, "I'm sorry. Please don't hate me."

"I don't, Mum," Robert responded. He sat down next to her and pulled her close to comfort her. "Why are you so upset?"

He was heartbroken when he heard his mother say in almost a whisper, "I thought you had left me, too, and that you were never coming back. Robert, I would die if I ever lost you."

Robert knew he had to make changes in his life and get his priorities in order. He realized he had been ignoring the fact that his mother had taken an even greater turn for the worse. When he took a good look at Sarah, he saw that she appeared pallid and frail. He was surprised at how much she had aged in the past couple of years. These observations only served to compound the guilt he felt at neglecting her.

**************************************************

Beginning the following day, Robert began to once again take greater care of his mother. He organized everything from her clothes to her meals and tried to keep her on some type of schedule to make it easier on her when he couldn't be there. He made excuses to Amy of why he could not spend as much time with her and was grateful for her understanding.

Unfortunately, when the new school term began, Robert found little to no time for Amy at all. By the time he got home from school, Sarah demanded a huge amount of attention. On top of that, the college level classes that Rowan had insisted he take required a tremendous amount of lab work and homework. He had always done well in school and had often found the classwork uncomplicated, but now he found himself frustrated with having to study when he would rather be with Amy. He knew, however, that if his grades suffered at all, Rowan would demand answers as to why. Therefore, he continued to push himself harder.

To make matters even worse, when Robert and Amy did find time to be together, they would often end up arguing. The first argument began when Amy asked Robert where he wanted to go away to University.

"I plan on staying right in Melbourne," he answered.

"You've got to be kidding," Amy said. "We could go anywhere in the world. Can you imagine all the things we could see and do together. Don't tell me you're afraid to leave home. I know for a fact that your father thinks it's a good idea for you to go away."

Robert became angry when he learned that his father had been discussing his future and said, "Well, too bad. It's not my father's decision and whether he likes it or not, I refuse to go away. And that's final!"

"So what about me? Does it even matter what I want?" Amy asked.

"You can do whatever you want. If you decide to go away, just don't expect me to follow," Robert responded.

Amy was hurt by his answer and said, "Fine. What I want right now is for you to leave."


	7. Chapter 7

As the school year went on, Robert found little change in his day to day living. Even though he had come to accept things as they were, Amy had a more difficult time tolerating the changes in their relationship. She missed the time they spent together and began to question why Robert could seldom find time for her.

Amy tried to keep her feelings to herself because she did not want to add more pressure to Robert since he often seemed to be under a great burden. Over the months,she often asked him if everything was alright and he always claimed to be "fine".

One day, when Robert found some free time, he called Amy to see if she was also available. When they got together, he admitted that he only could spend about an hour with her because, as usual, he was extremely busy.

Amy could no longer hide her resentment and said, "You've got to be kidding me! It seems like the only reason you want to see me anymore is so you can get laid!"

Robert said, "You can't possibly believe that. Amy, you know how much I love you and I wish I could spend more time with you, but it's just not possible. If you don't want to have sex, you could have just said so. It certainly wouldn't stop me from wanting to see you."

Amy responded, "It's not that I don't want to have sex, Robert. It's just that I don't want that to be the only thing we share. I miss being with you. And to be honest with you, I'm starting to feel used."

Robert felt horrible knowing that he had hurt Amy so deeply and said, "You're right. I've taken you for granted and I'm sorry. You don't even realize how much I need you and look forward to seeing you. Please forgive me."

"Of course I forgive you," Amy said. "I know it's not entirely your fault and that you're under a lot of pressure this year, but I wish you would let me help. I just want you to talk to me."

Robert thought about what Amy said and wanted to tell her everything. He was tired of being afraid and craved her support. He was beginning to have faith in the fact that Amy could make it all better. He was about to confess all of his secrets when he heard her start to speak first.

Amy said, "Robert, I can't help but think that school isn't the only thing that has you stressed out. Is something going on with your mother also? If so, then you shouldn't bear that burden by yourself. I don't want to sound cruel, but she's not your responsibility. I know you don't have the best relationship with your dad, but, if you want, my father could speak with him. That way, he'll make sure that your dad will take care of everything."

Robert's protective instinct took over and he said, "Amy, I've told you a million times. Everything is fine." He knew he had chosen fear over faith.

*****************************************

The final term of Year 12 finally came to an end and graduation day had arrived for Robert and Amy. Since they attended different schools, they agreed to spend the day with their respective families and meet up the following day.

Robert was relieved to hear that his father had planned on attending his graduation ceremony. This meant Robert had the perfect excuse for his mother not being there since everyone knew Sarah would not appear if Rowan was there.

As Robert waited for his father to pick him up, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen after today. Amy still had not made a decision as to which University she would attend. She had been accepted to a couple of different schools in other cities, but Robert was still selfishly trying to convince her to stay in Melbourne. The last few weeks had been so hectic for the both of them that they barely had time for each other. Amy decided to wait until after their graduation ceremonies to discuss it further and then she would make her final determination.

Suddenly Robert's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the telephone ringing. Even before he answered, Robert knew what the call was going to be about.

"Hello," he stated expectantly.

He heard Rowan's voice on the other end, "Son, I'm terribly sorry but a dire emergency has come up and I'm not going to be able to make the ceremony today. I'll try to catch up with you later, though. I promise to make this up to you. I must run now. I'll talk to you soon."

Robert went upstairs to change his clothes. He didn't really want to go to the stupid ceremony anyway.

*****************************************

The next day, Robert and Amy were finally able to spend more time together and talk about their futures. Regrettably, Robert was still in a sullen mood and was more quarrelsome than usual. Amy tried to ignore it at first, but ultimately her temper got the best of her. They had an intensely heated argument where everything they had kept bottled up in the previous months came spilling out. Unfortunately, Robert had a lot more bottled up than Amy and he said many things that left her in tears.

Robert immediately felt disgusted with himself for how he had treated Amy, but he thought it best if he went home before he made matters worse. He thought it was best to give her time to cool down before he apologized. He resolved to stop taking out his problems on Amy and to start treating her the way she deserved.

After spending a sleepless night agonizing over the previous days argument, the next morning Robert was determined to no longer give in to the fear which always controlled his life. He made a vow to himself that he was finally going to tell Amy the truth about his mother. For once in his life, he was ready to take a chance and trust someone.

Robert was getting ready to go see Amy when the doorbell rang. He smiled to himself, thinking it was just like her to be the first to want to make amends. He hurried to answer the door, but was shocked to find Amy's father on the doorstep instead.

"Oh, hi Mr. Cooper. Come on in," he said, curious as to why the man was there.

Mr. Cooper replied, "I'm not going to stay Robert. I just came to deliver a message from Amy. I'm not exactly sure what happened between you two, but yesterday she made the decision to move to Sydney to live with her brother. She's going to University there when the semester starts."

Robert was momentarily stunned. "When is she leaving?" he asked, hearing the crack in his voice.

"Well, that's just it," Mr. Cooper said. "She left early this morning. She asked me to give you this."

Robert looked down and noticed the letter in Mr. Cooper's hand. He reached out to take it, his own hand shaking slightly.

"Thank you," was all Robert could say.

After Mr. Cooper left, Robert went to his room and closed the door to make sure he wouldn't be disturbed. He opened the envelope and as he read the letter, tears began to well up in his eyes. He had to read it a second time to comprehend what it was saying.

She was sorry for how things had worked out, but thought it was time for both of them to move on. She didn't blame him and had no regrets. She would always remember the happy times they had together. She was gone and wasn't coming back.

His mother was right. People always leave.

For the first time in his life, Robert laid on his bed and sobbed.


	8. Chapter 8

The next three years passed with Robert continuing to care for his mother while also being a full-time student at the university. His professors were impressed with the high marks he received on his tests with what seemed to be little effort on his part. His fellow scholars, however, never fathomed that the boy who sat in the back of the class chewing on a pencil and never contributing to class discussions was also the brightest student in the class. They actually considered him lazy and disregarded him as the rich kid with the famous father. As usual, Robert was more than happy to let them believe what they wanted. The less questions asked the better.

Many of the young women in his classes were most definitely aware of one thing. Lazy or not, Robert Chase was by far the best looking boy in school. There was much flirting on their part to gain his attention and when that failed, some were bold enough to ask him out themselves. Robert was not interested in a relationship with anyone, but he was more than willing to engage in the occasional one-night stand. Still, ever since Amy left, it seemed as if something was missing in his life.

One Sunday morning, as Robert was out running errands, he passed the church that his family used to attend. His mother had been a devout Catholic and as he was growing up, she insisted they go to Mass every week. After his parents divorce, however, she had felt as if she no longer belonged to the church and their participation had ceased.

On this day, Robert noticed the number of families that were entering the church and made a sudden decision to join them. Mass was just about to start when he entered the doors so he quickly found a seat in one of the back pews. He was pleasantly surprised to find how easily everything came back to him. He found comfort in the routine of the Mass and solace in the familiar prayers.

After the Mass was over, Robert was not yet ready to leave the sanctuary of the church. He was sitting alone in the pew saying a silent prayer when he heard a voice call out his name. He looked up and saw his favorite priest from years before.

Robert smiled and stood to shake the priest's hand. He said, "Father Mahoney. It's so nice to see you. I wasn't sure if you would still be here or not."

"I thought that was you," Father Mahoney replied. "Yes, it's been a long time, hasn't it. I guess the people in charge here figured they couldn't get rid of me so they finally appointed me Monsignor. I can't tell you how good it is to see you, my son. Please, sit down and tell me, how have you been?"

Robert remembered Father Mahoney as a warm and caring man who had always been easy to talk to. Then it occurred to him that priests were bound by a professional ethic of confidentiality. Here was finally someone Robert could confide in who he not only respected and trusted, but who may also be able to offer much needed advice.

Robert said, "Father, it's been a long time since my last confession. I'm not sure if you have time to listen to what all I have to say."

The priest put his hand on Robert's shoulder and said, "You were led here today for a reason, Robert. I want you to know that I will always make time for you. Together we can ask God for guidance."

Knowing that Robert needed privacy, Father Mahoney led him to his private office. The priest listened sympathetically as Robert confided every miserable detail of his life. When he was finally done, together they prayed. Robert couldn't remember the last time he had felt such peace.

Robert continued to attend Mass every Sunday and often stayed to speak with Father Mahoney. Even though nothing changed at home, the spiritual support helped him to cope a little better.

Sarah continued to only get worse with each passing year. Whenever his mother had a particularly bad episode, she would vow to get better and stop drinking. Then the withdrawal symptoms would start and after a few days of shakiness, sweating, anxiety and vomiting, she would start drinking again.

It had been five years since his father had left and Robert wasn't sure how much longer his mother could go on like this. He began to wonder if he should break his promise to his mother and send her away for the help she so desperately needed. One day, while she was still relatively sober, he tried to broach the subject with her.

"Mum, I've been thinking that it's time for you to get some professional help for your drinking," he began. "There's a rehab not too far from here that I've looked into and they have a very good level of success working with patient's, but you must stay there until you finish your treatment."

Sarah immediately became defensive and screamed, "I KNEW IT. YOU JUST WANT TO GET RID OF ME."

Robert tried to remain calm and said, "No Mum. I swear, I just want for you to get better. I love you and hate seeing you suffer like this."

His mother still did not believe him and continued, "I'M NOT GOING AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME."

When Robert took a step towards her, Sarah panicked and grabbed the candlestick sitting on the table and hit Robert in the face with it. A deep gash opened just below his left eye. When Sarah saw the blood flowing down his face, her rage changed to despair.

A look of clarity came over Sarah's face as she exclaimed, "Oh, my God. What have I done."


	9. Chapter 9

When Robert returned from the hospital after getting stitches for the wound on his cheek, his mother was waiting for him. Sarah felt horrible for injuring Robert and professed again that she would stop drinking. She begged him to give her six months to try to stop on her own. She swore to him that if she failed, then she would consent to go into rehab.

Robert debated this idea for a moment. He had learned from experience that, because Sarah had access to a vast amount of money, she could always manage to pay someone to deliver her favorite gin. He had figured that out after finding the many empty bottles she had stashed around the house. And yet, this time Sarah's level of commitment seemed more sincere so finally Robert agreed, secretly praying that this time she would keep her word.

For the next couple of months, Sarah did her best to quit drinking but the struggle to do it on her own was too daunting. Each time she failed, she renewed her promise that she would get help at the end of six months. Robert was worried about her health, but he could see that his mother was doing her best so he kept supporting her efforts.

Robert continued to rely on Father Mahoney for encouragement. It amazed him how just a few words from this compassionate man could get him through such rough moments in his life. He thought it must be a wonderful feeling to be able to help people in such a way. Robert told himself that when he became a doctor, he would be able to help people too, but deep down he knew it wasn't the same.

After Sarah's last failed attempt, she was more determined than ever to quit drinking. She swore to herself that this next time would be different. When the withdrawal symptoms began, she was determined to suffer through no matter how much pain or agony she experienced.

As before with other attempts, Robert sat by his mother's side as much as possible to help her through the ordeal. Sarah managed to endure the torment for a few days, but on the fourth day she refused to eat and did not want to get out of bed. She insisted that she wanted to be alone to sleep so Robert reluctantly left her. By that evening, Robert heard her screaming and rushed to Sarah's room.

As soon as he opened her door, he saw that his mother was much worse than he had ever seen before. She was screaming and scratching at her arms, thinking that they were covered with ants and they were eating her live. Robert tried to explain to her that she was hallucinating, but she didn't even seem to know that he was there. He saw that she was trembling violently. Robert pressed his fingers to her neck and could feel her pulse racing wildly. He knew that his mother was experiencing the DT's and time was of the essence. He immediately called for an ambulance and began CPR.

At the hospital, Robert watched as the intensivist in the emergency room did his best to save Sarah. After what seemed to be an interminable amount of time, the doctor finally came over to him.

"I'm sorry, Robert, but your mother has suffered a major heart attack," the doctor said. "Unfortunately, there was too much damage to the heart and there's nothing more we can do for her, except to make her remaining time as comfortable as possible. If there's anyone you need to call, you should do so now."

Robert took the news in stunned silence. Even though he knew it would be the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, there was really only one person to call. He went to make it before he lost his courage.

Twenty minutes later, Robert was sitting by his mother's bedside in her hospital room. The nurse had given Sarah something for her pain and she was resting peacefully. Robert had his head in his hands, praying quietly, when he heard the door open. He looked up to see the man he had been waiting for.

Robert stood and said, "Oh, thank God you made it, Father Mahoney. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough time for her to receive Last Rites from you. Thank you so much for coming."

As usual, Father Mahoney took control of the situation in his calm and exacting manner. He performed the Anointing of the Sick and then told Robert that he would wait for him outside so he could be alone with his mother.

It wasn't long before Sarah passed away. Robert sat with her for a few moments longer, not wanting to leave the woman who had always feared being alone. Eventually, he dried his eyes and joined the priest who was waiting in the hall.

Robert saw Father Mahoney sitting on a bench and went to sit down next to him.

"She's gone," he announced forlornly. "And it's all my fault."

Father Mahoney replied, "Don't do that. You cannot blame yourself for choices that your mother made. Bad things happen, Robert, and I know they're hard to comprehend, but that's when I think of the passage from Proverbs that reminds us to 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and don't lean on your own understanding. In all things acknowledge him, and he shall direct your way.'"

Robert turned to him and spoke sincerely, "Thank you, Father."

As Robert looked over the priest's shoulder, he was surprised to see Rowan walking toward them.

He stood and walked over to meet him and, somewhat bewildered, asked, "Who called you?"

"The doctor in the ER recognized you and he contacted me," Rowan answered. "I got here as fast as I could."

"You're too late," Robert disclosed. "Mum's dead."

A look of anguish passed over Rowan's face as he said, "I'm sorry son. I understand how difficult this is for you. Please, let me take care of all the arrangements. I want you to know that I'm here for you."

Robert almost laughed at this and thought bitterly _at least until the next emergency._

Rowan added, "You should take some time off school to give yourself time to grieve. I'll call the dean in the morning and have him speak to your professors. You can go back whenever you're ready."

Robert thought about how he had spent his entire life trying to make his parents happy and how he had failed miserably. Maybe now it was time to make himself happy.

Robert made a decision to once in his life stand up to his father and stated matter-of-factly, "I'm not going back to the university. I've decided to go to seminary school instead."

This time it was Rowan's turn to be surprised.

_**A/N: There is still one chapter left to come. Please Read and Review.**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Well, this is the last chapter. This brings Chase back to the beginning of the story, which was just after his peer review in "The Mistake".**_

_**I want to thank those of you who took the time to leave a review or sign up for alerts. I would love to hear everyone's final comments on the story. Hope you enjoy.**_

After spending most of the night reliving the events of his childhood, Chase finally fell into a restless sleep. Like so many nights before, once again he started to dream of Kayla's death and subsequent peer review. He also had visions of how House knew Rowan's secret beforehand but had never bothered to warn Chase.

Then the the images turned to when Rowan had visited PPTH all those months ago and the conversation with House which took place in his boss's office. At the time, Chase believed that House was merely prying into his personal life just to find something new to torture him with, but in this dream he realized something else. House was about to tell him something before Chase interrupted him, but then House had changed his mind.

Chase woke up with a start. Why hadn't he remembered that before? _What was House going to say? _And then it dawned on him. House was about to tell him that his father was dying! He had changed his mind after Chase admitted that he had loved his father but had stopped caring because he was tired of all the disappointments.

Chase racked his brain trying to figure out why House had decided to keep Rowan's secret. Was it because House wanted to see Chase crumble when he finally learned the news of his father's death? He knew deep down that even House wasn't that cruel.

Could it possibly be that House was trying to protect Chase? It wouldn't be the first time either. House had done the same thing after the Vogler fiasco. He never could understand why House hadn't fired him then. And again after his most recent mistake with Kayla. House put his own career on the line just to save him. What did this mean? After all of the constant abuse, did House actually believe that Chase was a good doctor?

Chase thought about this long and hard and the only conclusion he could come to was a resounding YES. Nothing else could explain it. His own father had always said that Chase wasn't ready, that he should work with Rowan to become a better doctor. But things were different with House. Even though House constantly called him an idiot and rode him hard, Chase could relate to the way House thought, which was unconventional and out-of-the-box. Something Rowan never allowed.

Chase had spent so many years avoiding relationships because he always expected people to leave him that he hadn't realized until now that House had become such a huge influence in his life. House didn't pity him or ignore him. In fact, he was the one who always forced Chase to face his fears.

For once, Chase began to have confidence in his own abilities. He knew that working for House had not only made him a better doctor, but it had also made him a stronger person.

Chase got out of bed feeling better than he had in months. He showered and ate a quick breakfast, feeling excited to go to work. Yes, some days you just know are going to be good.

When Chase arrived at the hospital, he found out that the diagnostics department did not have a case at the moment so they were all supposed to report for clinic duty. He happily took a chart from Nurse Brenda.

The nurse said to him, "Good morning, Dr. Chase. Since you're one of the only doctors who don't mind working with kids, then you can see the boy in Examining Room One."

Chase smiled because the nurse was right. He did prefer younger patients because he could understand them. And they were much more honest than adults. He opened the chart and saw the subject was a twelve year old boy named Kevin.

As he entered the room, he noticed the boy was lying on the exam table with his mother standing beside him.

Chase introduced himself and said, "So, what seems to be the problem."

The mother explained that Kevin had been complaining of severe dizziness and nausea.

Chase asked, "When did this start?"

Again, the mother answered, "He seemed fine when he got up this morning but then after breakfast, he suddenly started having these symptoms. He was also fine yesterday, although last week he did have a slight cold."

"Has he been taking any type of medication or did he hit his head recently?" Chase asked.

"No, no at all," she replied.

Chase proceeded to look into Kevin's ears and noticed that the boys eyes were moving abnormally.

"What Kevin is experiencing is called vertigo which was caused by an inner ear infection. I can give him something for the dizziness but I'm sorry to say that he'll have to wait a few day for the symptoms to completely go away. The good news is it's not serious and will clear up on its own," Chase stated.

As Kevin slowly sat up on the table with Chase's help, his mother exclaimed, "Oh, thank you doctor. That's such good news. I can't tell you how worried I was."

Chase watched as the woman tousled her sons hair and kissed him on the cheek. A warm sense of nostalgia passed over him as the show of affection reminded him of his own mother.

Then he was brought back to the present when he heard Kevin's mother saying, "Dr. Chase, I want to thank you for being so kind and patient. You're so young to be such a gifted doctor. Your parents certainly did a great job raising you. They must be very proud of you."

Chase felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. It certainly wasn't the first time in his life that he had felt this way and he had learned from experience to carry on as if nothing happened.

Chase tried to ignore all of the memories that had haunted him from the night before.

His only reply was a simple, "Thank you."

Some days you just know are going to be good, he thought. Unfortunately, today wasn't one of those days.

**The End.**


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